Dead Zone
by ShadowWeaver2
Summary: The Team, and a stranger who finds herself trapped with them, find themselves in a Zone devoid of life... or is it?
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

When I awoke, it was to discover that the comfortable bed which I had been lying on had been replaced by metal decking. There was a steady pounding, and someone was shouting at the top of his lungs to be let out.

_Let out? What does he mean by that?_ I opened my eyes and answered my own question. All around me were metal walls, floor, and ceiling . . . and a pair of slick, black shoes above which were a pair of black pants legs.

Apparently, whoever had put me here had decided that putting two people in a six-by-six room was better punishment, for the shouting and pounding were being caused by the owner of the black shoes and pants legs.

I had ignored them at the time as I was intent on finding out where I was. I looked at their owner now. The man was dressed from head to toe in black. Even the shiny, leather jacket was black.

Rising slowly from where I had been lying on the floor, I started toward him; and he spun to face me. His expression became one of pure shock . . . shock that anyone was in the room with him. He had thought he was alone here. And maybe he had been until I arrived. But then that took me back to the questions of where I was and how I had come to be here.

With sudden surprise, I realized that I was reading his thoughts. Knowing this. I searched his mind for his name. It finally presented itself to me . . . Jonathan Willaway.

I stopped. The shock had been replaced by fear. It was not just a tiny glimmer of fear, but rather, a full-blown blaze of stark terror. He had now backed himself as close to the far wall as he could get. As I started toward him, he resumed his earlier activity with renewed fire.

I, for my part, turned and made a search of the room for any door or other way out of here. Not even a crack showed in the metal. I leaned against one wall to think. But with Willaway making such a fuss, I could not concentrate.

Moving over to him, I turned him around to face me as gently as was possible. It took all the strength I possessed to keep him from breaking away and continuing the uproar.

At this moment, thanks to the physical contact I had initiated, I could feel nothing from him except the indescribable terror. The walls were closing! We had to get out!

The walls were closing? I turned and saw the same stationary metal walls I had seen before. It occurred to me then that the reason he was so terrified was that he was claustrophobic - afraid of small, closed-in places.

When I turned back, he was looking at me with eyes so full of fear and a plea for help. I had never been able to resist against that kind of look. Since I had not been able to find a way out. I decided that the next best thing would be to disprove the idea that the walls were going to close on us.

I led him, with a small resistance, to the opposite wall and placed his hands against it. I then stood just behind him. thus preventing a retreat; and placed firm, but gentle hands on his shoulders.

He was shaking as I asked him, "Willaway?" he looked back at me. "Is it moving?"

He was still unnerved, but a bit calmer, and still shaking a bit, "No." He answered softly after a moment's hesitation, a slight quaver in his voice as though even uttering the word would nullify it and make them continue their movement.

I released my grip, and he turned to face me. He was definitely a bit calmer now, but still jumpy. "How do you know my name?" He seemed to be focusing on that tiny unknown to keep his mind clear and off of the enclosure we were in. A good idea, so I answered him.

"I can hear your thoughts." I answered as I leaned against the opposite wall once more to think. It did not occur to me that this would be strange to him, but perhaps it should have since he was so obviously Human in species.

"You're a . . ." He seemed to be searching his mind for the word.

"Telepath?" I provided with a small smile, glad he was relaxing as he focused away from the fact that we were still confined. I had piqued his scientific curiosity.

"Yes." He answered, moving a step closer to me. His fear was temporarily forgotten in the light of this new discovery, but I knew that would not last long once he had a chance to re-focus on the room.

"Yes, I am." I answered, standing from my lean against the wall and once more approaching him, laying my hands gently on his shoulders. "And I promise to tell you a lot more. But first, I need you to calmly" I stressed the word "help me look for a way out of here, okay?"

He nodded, now reminded of his surroundings and a bit shaky once more but steady enough for the moment. I smiled encouragingly, let go of his shoulders, and we began our search.

That was when the Voice jolted Willaway into the nearest corner. I jumped. "You will give us what we want." it boomed.

Blink. What the hell was it talking about? My attention completely focused on it for the moment. "What _do_ you want?" I asked the Voice, eyes searching the metal walls for any sign of listening or watching devices with no success.

"You know." it answered.

Whoever this was, they were certainly delusional! If I'd known, I certainly would not have wasted anyone's time asking such an inane question! "No, I don't!" I shouted back. "I don't know who you are, how I got here, or even where 'here' _is_, for that matter! So how in blazes could I _possibly_ know what you want!" I was incensed! What presumption! Who the hell did this thing think it was!

"You know," the Voice insisted ominously, "and you will give it to us, or you will watch him die. Slowly."


	2. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One**_

I have never liked being threatened, and I did not respond any better to it here than I had anywhere else before. And so, in anger, frustration, and desperation, I lashed out and kicked the nearest wall as hard as I could with my boot heel. A crack appeared in the metal. Surprised, but gratified, I continued kicking until I had opened a hole big enough to walk through.

As I stood for a moment looking at the cave-like tunnel beyond my improvised doorway, Willaway fairly ran past me. Normally, I would have been just a bit put out by the rudeness of such a move, but I could not fault him. I sensed great relief from him and smiled. Whoever the Voice was, it had not won yet. And if I had anything to say about it - and I usually did - it would not either.

I finally managed to catch up to him when he stopped indecisively at a fork in the cave-like tunnel. So deep in concentration on which tunnel to take was he that he jumped when I approached him and touched his shoulder gently.

"Sorry about that." I apologized. "Sometimes I forget how quietly I move.

He nodded, relaxing once more, and we stood staring at the divided passage for a moment. Then he pointed to the right. "This way." he said and headed off in the designated direction. How he knew that I did not know, but he was obviously certain . . . or as certain as one could be in such a situation. So I ran off after him.

We rounded bend after bend until we came to another fork in the tunnel. He stopped and sat down at the mouth of the tunnel we had just come out of. His expression told me he had thought that would lead out, and he was now more than just lost. I sat down beside him.

"What now?" Willaway looked hopelessly at the three tunnel choices before us.

I looked at our three new options carefully. Any one of them could be the way out or lead us deeper into the maze.

While I considered, I leaned back against the wall of the tunnel we were currently seated in. As I did so, my mind was filled with images and thoughts. It was overwhelming. I shook my head to clear it and reflected on what had just happened. I had touched solid rock, and I had been given . . . what?

"Are you all right?" Willaway was genuinely concerned. Whether this was because he truly cared for my well-being or simply because he did not wish to be left alone here, I could not tell.

I nodded affirmatively at him, he relaxed again, and I went back to my musings. Touching the wall had exposed me to a mind of - no, minds. Lots of them. And all of them were thinking of one thing . . . leaving this place.

And one mind overshadowed all the others. This one knew the way out, and now I knew the way out.

It occurred to me to wonder at that. Could this be the Voice? No, its underlying Psionic feeling was not the same. This one possessed warmth and kindness; the Voice had not. It had only felt . . . malevolent and dangerous.

I stood and gestured toward the center tunnel, indicating that this was the way we should go. He looked at me as if to say 'How do you know?' but stood and followed me without question. It was as though he knew I had the answer to this maze and was willing to chance the danger to find his way out of this Hell.

We continued down this fairly straight tunnel for quite some time until we came to a place where the tunnel turned abruptly to the left. I placed my hand against the wall, this time prepared for the barrage.

Again my mind was assaulted by the Others here; but in this part of the place, two of the minds which had belonged to Willaway's original party - I knew this because one of them wondered if he was all right by name - were very near. The worried voice belonged to a woman . . . Leanna. The other belonged to a man . . . Varien. They were very near. Just in front of me.

I blinked and stepped back, looking at what was in front of me. Just in front of me was a solid stone wall. Behind this wall must be another of the rooms like the one Willaway and I had escaped from, I reasoned. It had probably looked like this from the outside too.

I considered the wall carefully before striking it with my boot heel as I had our prison. It was a risk that it would not work and I would just look foolish; but it had worked on our Prison, so why not on this one?

As I expected, the wall buckled instead of chipping away as stone should have done. I kicked again, creating a hole. I continued the process until I had created a hole big enough to crawl through.

This revealed, as I had also suspected, metal walls, floor, and ceiling. Inside this room stood three beings, two human-looking and one feline. As I entered, the man stepped between me and the woman protectively. I stopped, not wishing to provoke him. I could feel his power from here.

"Who are you?" The man Varien asked me in a calm, measured tone. The woman Leanna was watching from behind him.

"I am Celia. I was a prisoner just like the three of you." I answered his question, standing perfectly still.

"What is this place?"

"It appears to be some sort of holding area." I answered again.

"What have you done with the others?"

I shook my head. "I did nothing with the rest of your group." I answered once more. Then I added after a beat, "Willaway is unharmed. He is waiting in the tunnel just outside."

They both looked suspicious for a moment; then Varien nodded, and they followed me back out into the tunnel. After each had exchanged stories with the others, Willaway looked back at me. "How did you know they were there?"

"Because she's a Telepath." Varien answered the question for me. "I sensed her in my mind just before the wall was broken through."

Willaway, remembering that I had said as much in our own confinement, nodded, accepting that reasoning and asked, "Where do we go now?"

"Left." I answered, and we continued on our way.

"How does she know where we're going?" Leanna asked quietly. She knew there was more to that than the simple Telepathy but not what that 'more' was.

"I don't know," Willaway answered, "she just . . . does." He suspected it had to do with my reaction to touching the cavern wall, but he could not explain why, so he did not mention it just now.

After traveling for another hour and finding neither a turnoff nor any more of their party, we began to get tired and discouraged.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Willaway asked as we stopped to rest.

I placed my hand to the wall, listened for a moment, then answered, "Absolutely."

"Celia, may I ask you a question?" Varien asked.

"Certainly. What do you wish to know?"

"Where are you from?" After a pause, he corrected himself. "Or, rather, _when_ are you from?"

I considered him and the group carefully, then formulated my answer based on their collective understanding of temporal mechanics. I sat forward, eyes fixing on his for a moment before touching each of the others.

"Actually, Varien, you were more correct the first time." I explained, drawing an arc in the dirt on the floor. "Assuming that space and time are flowing together in one direction from the beginning" here I indicated the beginning of my arc "to the end" here I indicated the end of my arc "in a curve," I traced my finger over the arc "then each of you exist at one point along this space-time curve. You, Leanna, come from Atlantium, here." I pointed to a spot near the beginning of my arc. "You, Willaway, come from 1963 and here." I pointed to a spot a little further along my arc. "And you, Varien, come from 2230 and here." I indicated a spot even further along my arc.

They all sat silently looking at the "space-time curve" on the floor for a moment before Willaway pointed out, "You still haven't answered Varien's question. Where do you come from?"

I watched their reactions as I pointed to a spot away from my arc. Leanna's eyes widened slightly. Varien nodded as if he had suspected as much. Willaway's eyes slitted in suspicion. And the cat, S'Lel, turned his back to me and began a thorough cleaning.

Willaway continued looking at my drawing suspiciously, but said nothing. Varien's eyes met mine, and I could see that he knew and understood. "Then you are of The Continuum?" It was a sort of question within a statement.

"Yes, and no."

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand." Varien said.

"I am not originally of them, but they do claim me."

Varien nodded understanding. The others looked even more confused, but they did not press. We settled in and rested while we could.

After resting for about four hours, we started down the tunnel again. It turned and twisted eight more times before it broke sharply to the right.

I stopped at this right-angle turn and laid my hand against the wall. Just as with Varien and Leanna, I felt two minds close to me, just behind the wall. I stepped back and lashed out with my foot. Again, the wall buckled instead of chipping away.

I continued this, as I had done before, until I had created a hole large enough to crawl through. Varien poked his head through and said something. A male voice belonging to Fred answered, then Varien exited followed by the young, black doctor and the boy, Scott Jordan.

Now that the group was once again complete, they all exchanged hugs and their joy at finding the others safe and unharmed. When this was completed, their attention turned to me. Varien, Willaway, and Leanna were waiting for me to indicate the way out. Scott was curious, and Fred just wanted to know who I was.

Varien answered Fred's unspoken question. "This is Celia. She seems to know the way out of here."

"How?" Fred asked.

I did not hear Varien's answer as I again consulted my guide. "This way." I said as I indicated the way down the right-turning passage.

We traveled in silence for some time before we came to a place where the tunnel widened out into a large cave. Here we stopped to rest against Fred's protests that we should leave here as quickly as possible.

Conversation among the members of the party was carried on around me. I had a need to rest and no desire to talk, so I sat against the wall at the mouth of the tunnel we had just exited and lost myself in the thoughts and images of the place,

There were many people and places here. It would be easy to simply flow with them. Only when one fought them did it become overwhelming. Lost in the memories of some creature or other, I drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

I was being shaken awake. "It's back!" Willaway's voice, full of anxiety, reached me.

"What's back?" I asked him, still half asleep and completely confused. In this Humanoid form, I was just as susceptible to fatigue as they were, and the remnants of the thoughts of the Place still resonated through my subconscious awareness as a background noise. I did not immediately notice this; however.

"The Voice!" he answered, the anxiety even more evident now, slowly becoming fear.

"Voice?" I questioned, shaking off the remainder of sleep-fog; then I remembered. The Voice in the cell which had demanded something of me and threatened him. "Son of a . . ." I hissed.

As I came fully awake, I heard Varien ask, "Who are you?" _A futile question._ I thought, _It won't answer._

"She knows." it answered.

All eyes turned to me. I stood and addressed the Voice. "You are mistaken. I have no idea who you are or what you want." My eyes narrowed to slits. "I told you that before."

"You know," It insisted again, "and you will give it to us, or they will all die slowly before your eyes one at a time until you resist no more." The threat again, this time encompassing the entire group. I growled softly at the Voice, but it had not finished. "It begins where you began."

Blink. What did that mean? "Where I began? What does that mean?" It was as much a protest as a question.

There was no answer.

"Answer me!" I shouted vainly after the Voice. "What do you mean?"

A soft moan from my right was the only answer I received. I turned to see Varien supporting a very shaky Willaway. I reached out to help him and felt a hand take a strong grip on my arm. I turned to face the owner of that hand.

Fred was staring at me with anger in his eyes. It permeated his voice as he spoke. "You've done enough."

As calmly as was possible, I pulled my arm free of his grip. "I was only trying to help." I informed him, eyes still narrowed. He had no idea whom he was tangling with, and now was _so_ not the time to do so.

"If you really want to help, just give them what they want and get us out of here."

"It isn't that simple." I ground out with frustration building and closed my eyes. "First of all, I don't have any better idea of what they want than you do. And second, I don't even know who we're dealing with." My eyes came open then and pinned him. "And until we figure out who they are, we don't stand a snowball's chance in Hell of figuring out what they want." I wanted so badly to help, but I could not do as Fred asked. And it pained me to see Willaway hurt so for some reason I could not yet name. So I turned my eyes away from all of them. "I'm sorry." I said very softly. "If I could figure out what it is they wanted, I would do it and save your friend." I had to pause and swallow the lump in my throat before I could finish. "But I can't."

Thus saying, I walked back over to where I had been sleeping and sat down by the wall. It was all I could do not to weep for the man who was being tormented because of me. But as I leaned back against the wall, all of it washed over me again, and I soon lost myself in the comforting flow of the Others.

The One still showed me the way out, but the Others called to me. Slowly they drew me to them while the One insisted that I must find the way out. But there were many of Them and only one of Him.

_Come with us._ They called. _We need you. You must lead us to our freedom. Come . . . come . . . come . . ._

_You must not listen to Them._ the One responded. _If you heed Their cries, your friends will perish here._

_But they _are_ dying. The Voice . . ._ I protested.

_. . . cannot kill them. He holds only as much power over them as you allow Him._ the One answered me.

_What does He want?_ I asked.

_You._

_ Me? Why?_

_ Because you are powerful. With your power, He could rule this place._

_ What is this place?_

_ It is a place of past memories and future dreams. It is many things to many people. To some it is Heaven. To others, it is Hell._

_ But what is it?_

An image of a once-thriving, now barren world flashed in my mind. Where there had once been great cities and thriving populations, there was now nothing but flat, scorched rock.

_We once lived above in great cities,_ the One told me, _but our pride nearly destroyed us. In our Great War, we destroyed everything we had built, and the radiation drove us underground. Here we lived quite happily for many years until our people began to mysteriously vanish. We took our Scanners and searched all the caverns for them, but they were simply gone._

_What happened to them?_ His story had piqued my curiosity and touched my heart.

_We finally just stopped looking for them as they vanished. Our numbers grew fewer and fewer until there were none._

_ But how can that be? I hear you and so many Others._

_ We are here, but they will never see us. Our own weapons have made this place our prison. We have all sensed your power. The Voice believes he can use it to rule, and my Children believe they can use it to finally leave this place._

_ And you?_ I asked. _What do you believe?_

_ My Children are innocent. And with such power, He would destroy us._ The One was silent for a moment before he continued. _You must continue your journey. He only has as much power over your friends as you allow Him. Go now and save your friend._ And with that, he fell silent.

I sat up quickly and looked at the party. The One's words echoed in my mind as I watched them. All were asleep except Willaway who was seated a short distance from me, in obvious pain. He had his knees curled up to his chest, his head down on them, and his arms wrapped around them. S'Lel, the feline member of the party, watched me with only one eye.

Standing, I made my silent way over to Willaway and sat down beside him. He lifted his head, turning to look at me, his eyes full of the pain he felt. I reached out and put one arm around his shoulders. He was so tired; I could see it in his eyes, in the way he moved. And the pain had taken such a hold on him. It cut through me to see him so harmed. He leaned toward me, laying his head on my shoulder; and for a moment, I simply held him like that.

Finally, I reached up, brushing his sweat-dampened hair back from his face and touching my fingers gently to his temple. I drew the pain to myself, giving him a moment's reprieve while I set up my little Surprise. At the same time, I created a shunt which would return any pain sent to Willaway to its source . . . at double strength.

_The Man wants my power. Well, I'll give Him a taste of it, and we'll see if He still wants it._

Relieved of the pain, Willaway sagged, completely exhausted, against me and fell into a deep sleep. I smiled softly and leaned back against the wall, letting him sleep just like that. It was the least I could do, after all. This time, the One kept his Children muted so that I could sleep as well. My cheek rested against the top of Willaway's head, I soon drifted off as well.


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

The first thing I registered as consciousness returned was that I was now lying on the stone floor, something cushioning my head. The second thing that made itself known was that there were several voices talking in hushed but intense voices a short distance away. They were not the voices of the Others or the One as I was not touching the wall any longer, and They did not seem to talk to me except when I was doing so . . . as though the floor did not create the same connection as the wall did. Interesting. I tucked that bit of knowledge away for future contemplation and opened my eyes slowly.

This showed me first S'Lel who was sitting right in front of my face, watching me sleep. Almost as though he were standing guard over me or watching me so that he could warn his Mistress when I woke. But since he did not move, I surmised that he was either guarding me or assessing me. I reached up gently to scratch behind his ears, and he gave me a soft purr in response before moving off to sit beside Leanna.

The next thing I saw was the group, Willaway included, sitting close together discussing something. Apparently, they either did not want me to hear their discussion or they wished not to wake me given the whispered quality of their voices. So, for the moment, I remained silent and contemplated the things I had seen and heard to this point.

The cushioning beneath my head was the leather jacket Willaway had been wearing when I had first met him. He had folded it neatly and placed it to act as a pillow sometime before going to speak with the others. I must have indeed been exhausted since I had not felt him leave or perform this gentle service. I smiled slightly and closed my eyes again to think.

"You mean you trust her, Varien?" Fred's voice reached my awareness, interrupting my thoughts and making me stop and actually try to listen to the conversation.

Varien sighed. "With the kind of power she has, Fred, if she wanted to harm us, she would have done so long ago." He answered softly.

"And if you're wrong about her? What if she's in with that . . . Voice?"

_Now that was a bit paranoid wasn't it?_ I thought, holding still and listening as Leanna spoke.

"You think she is?"

Another sigh, this time the doctor. "I don't know. But it all just seems . . . too convenient. I mean, it's talking to her, she broke all of us out of here, and she's the only one who seems to know the way out. Doesn't that sound a little off to any of you?" He pointed out.

_Okay, gotta give him that point._ I thought as I tried not to sigh. If I had been in his position, I might have come to the same conclusion.

"_And_ she was the only one who could help Willaway there." He added, finishing his list of evidence.

I could feel Communication between S'Lel and Leanna, then I heard the cat pad over to me. He did nothing at first, but after a few seconds, he tapped my arm with his paw to get me to open my eyes. He knew I was awake even if the others did not. When my eyes opened and met his, I heard his soft voice in my thoughts.

_They doubt because they do not understand._ His thoughts were clear, ordered, not the random images and feelings of the cat he appeared to be, though they _did_ have a sort of purred quality to them. Interesting, so the feline was more than he seemed. I had thought as much, but until now, I had not been able to prove it. I wondered if he had ever talked to the others besides Leanna.

I held his gaze. _And how can I make them understand, S'Lel?_ I asked softly.

For a moment, he merely sat there before me, staring into my eyes. Then, his voice came again in my mind. _Show them what you are. Varien speaks of your power, but they do not grasp the scope of it. Show them why you cannot give the Voice what He wants._ He advised. Then he was gone, padding back to sit beside Leanna. His gold eyes held on me for one more long moment, then they closed, and he laid down as if he were sleeping.

At first, I laid perfectly still, processing what he had said. Shows of such power were normally not done since they often had the reverse of the desired affect. But the Feline knew these people better than I did, so I decided to follow his judgment and slowly stood, taking Willaway's jacket with me as I approached and sat beside him. I handed him back his jacket and looked to the others who had all fallen silent when I joined them.

Fred still looked suspicious; Varien looked tired and frustrated; Leanna looked curious; and Willaway looked simply relieved and hopeful. I sighed and started by locking eyes with each for a second before actually speaking. When I did speak, my voice was soft and calm, carrying gentleness and warmth to them. I meant them no harm, and I needed them to believe that.

I only hoped S'Lel was right.

"Varien, you have likely guessed what the Voice wants from me, yes?" I began, eyes holding his.

He remained silent for a moment as he studied me. "Yes. He likely wants your power. Though I'm not sure what good it would do him in his current state . . ."

"Current state?" Fred interjected. "What d'you mean by that?"

Varien shook his head. "I don't know exactly . . . just a sense." His eyes took on a far-away look for a moment then came back to focus on me.

I did not directly answer that yet. "I have discovered something very unique about this system of caves." I offered, eyes still holding Varien's, watching his reactions to my next words carefully. He could likely sense the life in this place, but could not define it. I was about to give him the key to that particular puzzle . . . and open a whole new can of worms with Fred. "This place was once inhabited. They had a great war which saturated their atmosphere with radiation. To escape it, they moved into these tunnels. The problem with that was that the particular radiation that saturated the land caused an unforeseen effect."

"They became part of this place." Varien murmured almost distantly, focusing on me again then. "Didn't they?"

I nodded. "Yes." A sigh. "There are many here. I cannot even begin to calculate their numbers. Most are simply desirous of leaving, being freed of their stone prison and returned to their former Form."

"But the Voice doesn't want that?" Leanna put forth.

I shook my head. "There is One voice which leads the Others here. He has shown me the way out. That is how I knew which way to go. The Voice that threatens is also stronger than the Others. But He wishes to rule Them, to dominate Them."

"And for that," Willaway ground out, "He needs your power." He sighed heavily and looked disgusted. "It never changes! New world, same old greed!" He sighed heavily again and shook his head.

As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. These people were just like every other Mortal Race I had encountered so far in my travels. But it was sad to see.

"Yes. He knows that with my Power, he can dominate. They know that with my Power, they can be freed. And the One . . . He simply wishes to protect all of us and his Children."

For several minutes, the group sat silently, contemplating what had been said. Finally, Fred, the voice of skepticism, looked at me, eyes narrowed. He was still suspicious, and I could not blame him. Of all of them, I seemed to have all the answers _and_ all the Power. What else was he supposed to think since he could not Scan me to be sure of which side I was on.

"How do we know it isn't a trick?" He accused.

Varien sighed. Leanna looked between us as though she wished to hear how I would answer his charge. Willaway shook his head and looked as though he wanted to apologize to me for Fred's behavior.

"A valid question." I answered softly, the warm kindness still in my tones. "And the answer is simply that you don't. If I do nothing, you have no evidence to prove my loyalty to one side or the other save my word that I am leading you out. And if I show you my Power, then you have reason to fear what I can do rather than trust me. Either way, you get out and I look bad." I stood and stepped away from them. "Tell me, Fred, would it ease your mind to see the Power the Voice seeks? Would it make a difference in your judging of me to know that I have not given Him what he asks of me? Or would you still like me to give it to Him and hope that He is as benevolent as I have shown myself to be?" My words were a challenge, and I knew it.

S'Lel looked up at me. I was not _exactly_ following his advice, but close enough. I had added a wrinkle he had not anticipated. But the answer to my challenge would tell both of us much about the young physician.

Fred stared hard at me for several long moments before shaking his head. "You're right." He finally said, sounding slightly less suspicious but slightly miffed. "I don't have any way of proving your loyalty. And a show of power only proves that he's right . . . that you _have_ power. It wouldn't prove how you would _use _that power." He sighed.

"Besides," Leanna offered in her gentle voice, "she helped Jonathan. She didn't have to." Her light blue eyes came up to hold mine. "That's enough for me." She was almost absently scratching S'Lel behind the ears, but I could tell it was a statement to me. It meant _besides, S'Lel likes her. That says a lot._

Willaway stood and faced me. He seemed to be studying me for a moment, or maybe just the look in my eyes. After that moment, he asked softly, "Why _did_ you help me?" It was not a suspicious challenge as Fred's questions had been. It was more of the scientist in him showing itself in the curiosity of that question. Leanna had brought up a good point. I did not have to. And yet, I had.

The problem was that I really could not answer it. I had only known at the time that it hurt to see him in such pain and that I would have done _anything_ to take the pain from his eyes. The 'why' of that still eluded even me; however. So how was I supposed to explain to him what I, myself, did not fully understand?

"In truth," I said softly, "my actions were borne of feeling rather than thought." I reached out and touched his shoulder gently, unconscious of the movement. "You were in pain, and I . . . needed to ease it. So I did." It was as simple as that and as complex as that.

His eyes flicked to my hand on his shoulder then back up to hold my eyes. Only then did I register that I had placed my hand there. I gave the shoulder a gentle squeeze then removed my hand, but my eyes remained locked with his. I wanted him to see the Truth in them. The eyes were always the Tellers of Truths.

"Thank you." He murmured after that moment of searching my eyes and finding my Truth. "I don't know how you did it, but thank you."

"Yes, how _did_ you do it?" Fred asked, rising and approaching us. This time; however, the question held no challenge, only the curiosity of the physician.

My eyes slid to him. This was a question I could answer. "I gave It what It wanted." I said with a mischievous smirk.

"What?" Varien was on his feet and in Alert Mode instantly. Likewise, Leanna was up and ready in an instant.

I raised a hand and shook my head. "Do not worry. I only mean that I gave Him a taste of it by creating a shunt in Jonathan's mind which would return what He sent to Jonathan to Him." I paused for effect, the smirk returning along with a glint in my eyes. "At twice the strength He sent it."

Everyone stood silent for several long moments, then Fred actually laughed. "Teach the creep to ask for _her_ Power, I guess!" He shook his head and moved away to gather his things; we would need to move on soon.

The others chuckled as well and moved off to follow Fred's example. Willaway; however, remained. "It's funny," he muttered as we returned to where we had slept and he squatted down to put things back in his bag, "normally, I don't like people poking around in my head." He looked up at me for a moment then away as he zipped the blue-and-white bag he carried. "But somehow, I feel comforted that you were there."

I squatted down beside him and put my hand on his arm. This time, I was fully aware of the gesture. When he looked over to me, I smiled warmly. "I'm glad I could help." The smile faded somewhat, and I looked down at the bag just to have something to look at except for those gentle eyes as I added, "I'm just sorry I got you into that to begin with."

There was silence for a moment as he thought about that, and I could imagine the frown sliding over his features. "You didn't get me into it." He corrected. "I walked in when we crossed into that last Zone."

I shook my head. "I mean because He wants my Power, and He senses that I care what happens to you." I corrected gently, still not meeting his gaze.

"A thing which, while I don't understand why it's true, I'm grateful for." He murmured more to himself than to me. He reached out then and gently lifted my chin so that I was looking at him once more. "But that's not something to be ashamed of." He counseled gently. "You're a kind and caring person, and those are rare qualities. You cannot be held responsible for his greed and avarice."

His words were so kind, and they made me smile. Even more so because I knew he was speaking his Truth. "Thank you, Jonathan."

He nodded, smiled, and stood. We both rejoined the others, and I led them down the beginning of the next leg of our journey.


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

"This place goes on _forever_!" Fred grumbled as we turned yet another corner in the seemingly endless Cavern System. We had been walking for hours and were all a bit on edge. Even the normally well-balanced Varien was beginning to show the signs of strain. Therefore, it was no surprise when Fred made this protest or when Varien told him to be quiet and keep walking in a tone that was sharper than his normal tone. It was not raised from its normal soft volume, but it had acquired a razor's edge.

Stopping them, I sighed and turned to look at each of them. They were all tired and edgy. And who could blame them with that Voice still out there and threatening them.

"I think we should rest." I offered softly. "You are all tired, and it has been many hours since we've stopped to rest or eat."

Fred gave me a look that was less hostile than the ones he had been giving me up until that moment. "Now _that's_ the first sane thing she's said since we _met_ 'er!" He enthused.

Jonathan gave him a stare that could have frozen Hell itself; Leanna frowned but said nothing; S'Lel turned his nose up; and Varien sighed heavily. "There is no need to be rude, Fred." He intoned in those sharp tones. "She's only trying to get us all out of here." He reminded the doctor.

"Yeah, yeah." Fred waved him off. "So she says. But so far, what evidence do we have that she really _is_ leading us out? I mean, for all we know, she's leading us deeper _in_." His dark eyes fixed on me, and I could see the suspicion plainly in them without my considerable Talent.

Varien tensed and opened his mouth to say something, but the Voice beat him to it. "The Physician is correct." It boomed.

I felt Jonathan tense beside me and reached out, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. I could not be sure whether his tension had to do more with the implication that I could not be trusted or the returning of the Voice, but I suspected the latter.

Leanna and Varien looked at me, and I could feel them studying me. "Is he?" Varien asked, his voice still edged.

And in that second, I saw the play for what it was. The Voice was affecting them, but not as overtly as It had affected Jonathan earlier. Apparently it learned from its experiences and had decided not to take me on directly but force my hand by twisting them against me. Make them suspicious of me, and I would be left with no allies.

I met Varien's eyes, holding them in an iron grip with mine. "No." I said simply, letting that sink through for a moment before continuing. "You know this, Varien. You know I am helping you. Why do you doubt now?"

Jonathan looked between us with mild confusion. He could obviously tell there was more to this interchange than there appeared, but he had not quite figured out what that was yet.

Fred scowled. "Back off, lady." He challenged in hard tones. "He just asked a question . . . and a good one."

My eyes did not turn from Varien's. Not yet. I let Fred rant but kept my attention, and my Talent, focused in a minor way on Varien. "You know this suspicion isn't natural for you . . . or that razor tone. You sense it, don't you? You know what's wrong here." My voice took on a note of pleading. "Come on, Varien, I know you can. Please . . ."

Scott had joined Jonathan in the confused watching. S'Lel seemed more interested in the Cavern around us, and Leanna was standing behind Varien in a supportive manner. Something in her blue eyes told me she understood though.

"Oh, very good, Celia." The Voice mocked me. "Useless, but good nonetheless." Then it laughed harshly. "They will not hear you now. They are mine. And there is only one way to retrieve them now."

I felt the anger rise in me, and my hand tightened its grip on Jonathan's hand reflexively, though I was not entirely aware of that. He winced and looked down at our intertwined hands then up to me, but he said nothing as if he knew the anger was not toward him, and that I needed his calm to find my own Center. As if he knew what I was about and was offering support.

My voice was low and dangerous when I finally managed to speak. "You will fail at this, Strrae'hel." I hissed, eyes flashing. "I will not let you take them. I will not give you my Power."

It laughed again. "Oh, but you will. Soon enough." And it was silent once more.

Only then did I realize the grip I had on Jonathan's hand and released it. "I'm sorry . . ." I murmured to him as I took my hand back. "I didn't mean to . . ."

He shook his head and caught the hand before I could completely take it back. "It's all right, Celia." He told me softly, gently.

I shook my head. "No, it isn't. I hurt you." I answered very softly, gently sliding my fingers along his hand and easing the pain I had caused. "I didn't want that."

He looked down at our hands again as if he knew what I was doing then back up to my eyes. "I know." He answered with a gentle squeeze to my hand. "You're angry. And, frankly, so am I." The last three words came out almost a growl. Then he sighed and looked down to our hands again. "But what can we do?"

He sounded almost defeated, and I reached out with the other hand to gently place it under his chin, fingers curled. Gently raising his head to look into his eyes again, I studied the look that was there for a moment.

Clear.

"Fascinating . . ." I murmured more to myself than to him, not actually meaning to say it aloud.

Confusion flickered in his eyes for a moment. "What is?" He asked.

I could sense the others clustering and conferring. The Voice was right to a degree; It had them. What It was wrong about was that It was going to keep them. But I needed to focus on the one I still had for the moment, so I let the others confer and answered his question.

"The Voice said it had them. And It does . . . for now. But It doesn't have you. That surprises me since It knows It can use you against me."

He frowned a bit in thought. "Maybe it has to do with what you did the last time It . . ." He trailed off, and I could see remembered pain in his soft brown eyes.

That hand that I had under his chin left its place and gently laid itself against his cheek. "It's okay, I understand. You don't have to finish that." I assured gently. "But you might be right. The Shunt was only _supposed_ to block pain, but it might indeed have blocked Him from accessing you as He has them." It was an interesting side-effect of the Shunt and one I filed away for later analysis.

Jonathan relaxed visibly as I did indeed seem to know what he meant without his having to relive that moment too far. He nodded and sighed, head turning to look at the others clustered a short distance away. "But what can we do for _them_? How can we get them back?" He asked.

My eyes narrowed as I followed his eyes to them. "I'm not sure. If they'd allow me, I could set up Shunts in them too. Problem is, in their current states, they're not going to let me that close." I answered honestly then sighed heavily.

Jonathan frowned as he considered my words. "Isn't there a way you could set up a sort of . . . shield around them? A sort of general blockage or dampening field?" He asked, taking the Engineer's way around the situation.

It was an interesting idea, and it was one I had not thought of, so I gave it all due consideration. "Maybe," I finally answered, "except that I don't know how He's manipulating them exactly. If He's just using the Puppet-On-A-String Method, that could work because He's still on the Outside. But if He's using a more direct approach, then it wouldn't help because He'd be on the inside with them." I explained honestly, but extremely softly so that no one but Jonathan would hear.

Jonathan frowned and thought about my words. Anything he might have said; however, was cut off by Varien's voice. "Celia, I _do_ have one pertinent question." He addressed me in that same sharp-edged tone. His eyes were hard steel as well.

My hand came from where it had been resting on Jonathan's cheek and laid itself on his shoulder in a calming gesture. That tone Varien was using disturbed him greatly, but I was not exactly sure why . . . whether it had to do with the tone itself being unnatural for the normally soft-spoken and warm Varien or because he was using it on me. I assumed the former and looked to Varien.

"Yes, Varien?" I asked, my own tones soft and warm.

His blue-grey eyes held on mine, holding them in their steel grip. "With such power as I know you Continuum types to have, why do you not simply remove us from this place to another?" He asked, very directly and bluntly.

So that was what they'd been discussing. He'd been explaining my power to them and why the Voice thought it would gain him so much. I sighed heavily. "Because if I could do that, Varien, I certainly would have." I answered, holding his gaze steadily, showing him my Truth. "There is something in this section of your world which hampers my Translocation Power."

In truth, it was more than that. There was something in what the Humans called the Devil's Triangle that hampered not only my more advanced powers but, in fact, all of them. I was on severely decreased power, and it was taking its toll on me. I was weak for one of my kind. At least here in this Anomaly.

"How is that possible?" Jonathan asked, concern in his tones.

Again I had to sigh. "I don't know, Jonathan. Truth is, I don't even know what I am." I admitted, suddenly feeling very old and very tired. I slid to sit on the ground, releasing his shoulder and his hand as I did so. "As I told you all earlier, I was taken in by The Continuum. They say they found me adrift and without memory. I still have never found that memory . . . or another like me." My eyes closed, and I leaned my head back against the wall. But the One kept his Children silent for me. "And without knowing that, I can't even begin to _guess_ at what might affect my powers on such a basic level."

"Basic?" Leanna queried. "Then more is affected than merely your Translocation Power?"

Her tone gave me the impression that she was more worried than angry or suspicious. Why was she not affected in the same way Varien and Fred were? Or Scott? Scott might be immune because of his age, but Leanna? Could it be her extra-terrestrial heritage?

I nodded. "Yes, Leanna. Everything I can do normally is dampened."

Jonathan knelt beside me and gently turned my head to look at him. "Why didn't you say anything before now?" His tone was worried, and I could tell he was searching my eyes for something, but I did not know what exactly.

"Because I didn't want to worry anyone. Besides," I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "as long as He thinks I am powerful, He has reason to keep you all alive. If He suspects that I am . . . diminished . . . He might decide that you are of no use to Him and . . ." I swallowed, suddenly unable to finish the thought.

Jonathan tensed visibly; he knew what I had not said. "And kill them." He near-whispered, finishing the sentence I had not. He sighed heavily then and stood, approaching Varien. Their eyes met, and there seemed to be a battle of wills going on for a moment. Then Varien stepped back a pace and shook his head, looking past Jonathan at me then back to the other man.

"What . . .?" He started, shaking his head again. The battle being waged in his mind could be seen in his light blue-grey eyes as I stood and slowly approached him. He did not stop me, and one look from Leanna stopped Fred from doing so.

"Varien?" I asked softly as I came to stand right in front of him.

He turned his eyes to me, and I could easily see the battle in them. And a plea for me to make it all stop or make sense.

I reached up and touched his temple. And in that instant, I felt his mind brush through mine, and I knew my mistake. I tried to pull away, but his hand clamped around mine, holding me in the contact.

_Now you are mine._ The Voice echoed in my Thoughts, and I understood what was happening. He could not control Varien the way He did the rest, so He had pushed him aside and taken command of his Form. The battle I had witnessed was Varien trying to retake control and remove the unwanted Entity from his Form.

_Never_! I hissed into his Thoughts and sent a wave of searing agony through the dominant mind. Unfortunately, they were Linked, to prevent me from choosing just that path, and I winced as I felt Varien react to the onslaught. I ceased it immediately. _I'm sorry, Varien._ I felt tears slide down my cheeks as I tried to find a way to pull out of the Link and bring Varien back too.

The Voice sneered at me. _You may be powerful out there, but in here, I am Supreme._ And He returned my Wave of pain using Varien's own Talent which, while it was nowhere near what mine was normally, was significant. I felt every fiber of me protest the agony which seized me. Then it was over. I was free. I blinked and tried to assess my surroundings.

"What . . . happened . . .?" I whispered, realizing I was now lying on the floor.

Jonathan was hovering above me, and Leanna brushed some of my hair back. "We pulled you away." She said softly. "Rest now."

She had no idea how much I would have loved to do just that, but He had Varien! I tried to rise to continue my attempts to retrieve their companion, but both of them put gentle, but firm, hands on my shoulders and pushed me back to the cool stone. Jonathan's jacket was once more under my head for a pillow. "But Varien . . ."

Leanna shook her head gently. "Shh . . . not now. We will get him back, but you can't help him like this. Sleep . . ." She murmured.

I felt the world slide to Black . . .


	6. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

When I became aware of the world again, it was to the realization that nothing had changed. Varien was still in the clutches of the Voice; Jonathan and Leanna were still worried; Scott was still confused; and Fred was still suspicious. And S'Lel? He was concerned but looking far less so than the others… and less so than I felt.

Drawing from the strength of his calm, I pulled myself to a sitting position and motioned for Leanna to come near. Jonathan, I noticed immediately, was already sitting near me as if he had not moved since Leanna had put me to sleep. And from the look in his eyes, I suspected that was not far from correct. I gave him a look of gratitude and leaned against the nearby wall as Leanna and S'Lel came to sit with us.

"Has the situation changed?" I asked, eyes flicking away from my small group to Varien for a moment then back.

Leanna shook her head, an expression of deep concern settling over her features. "No. Now that it knows that you know it's there, it's not even bothered to keep up the pretense." She sighed heavily. "I can still feel Varien in there somewhere, but I have not been able to reach him."

I could tell that none of them wanted to ask me to go in again, but they all knew, _we_ all knew, that I was the only one who _could_. So I saved them having to ask it. "I will try again. Now that I am more rested, I _should_ be able to gain the upper hand."

I could see the worry slide into Jonathan's expression, but he did not say anything. It was a silent signal to me, a statement that he cared what happened to me, even if neither of us could define _why _we felt as we did. Was any definition of it truly necessary?

I offered him a smile in answer to his look, and patted his arm gently. That was _my_ signal to _him_ that I would be all right, and that I was indeed grateful for his concern. He recognized it and nodded, but I could tell he was still worried. And, frankly, so was I. But he did not need to know that, so I kept it to myself and stood, returning to Varien and looking into his eyes.

I became immediately aware that it was not Varien who was staring back at me through his eyes, but the entity we had come to call The Voice. In those normally-soft depths now rested a malevolent power that was so opposite of everything Varien was that it made me wince just to see it in those eyes. But that moment passed, and my own eyes narrowed.

"You come to try again, do you, Little One?" It sneered at me in his voice. Although the tones were his; they carried the same malevolence that was now in the eyes.

I saw the words for what they were; it was taunting me. And in that same second, I realized something else with crystal clarity. It had chosen to take the only one of them with any form of Psionic Talent, besides Leanna or myself. Why? Would it not have been easier for it to take Fred, or Scott, or even Jonathan before I had shunted him? Again, I surmised Leanna might have some form of defense granted her by her non-Terrestrial heritage. But the others did not have any such thing. So why choose Varien? And why, if it could do this, had it not done this to begin with?

The answer was simple, really. This took much of its strength to maintain, and it only chose this method from a sense of desperation. This was a ruse, an attempt to force me to sacrifice myself to save Varien. And that had indeed been my intent, until I had figured that out.

My eyes narrowed, and I laughed. "You have not played with one of us before, have you?" I taunted in return. "If you had, you'd know that we do not fall so easily into such amateur traps."

I could feel the others exchanging looks. Now they were united in their confusion. The Voice had now focused its entire attention and power on holding Varien. I ignored them and continued to hold his gaze.

He growled at me, but I knew it was not the soft-spoken man I had first met. "I could kill this one!" It spat. "Do you care nothing for him?"

I snorted at it, giving the best performance of my life. "What are you, kidding?" I waved dismissively. "Why should one mortal be of any more importance to me than any other?" I could feel Fred's eyes boring into my back, but I ignored it.

It hesitated, seeming to realize its mistake. It had taken the wrong one. But it could not have taken the right one if my theory was true. I shifted my position, hands on hips. "You care for that Mortal!" It hissed finally, waving toward Jonathan.

I shrugged. "What of it?" I challenged. "You couldn't take him, could you? Even before I placed the shunt." I took a step forward toward Varien's body. "Why not? What stops you?"

It forced Varien to take a step away. "I can take whatever, and whomever, I want!" It protested. "I am-"

"What? What are you?" I challenged again, taking another step forward.

It responded by stepping back again, back coming up against a wall. It did not say anything, but it was losing its hold on its prey. I could again see the fight in Varien's eyes. This time; however, I did not react by MindWeaving. Instead, I continued to speak.

"You are Strrae'hel." I continued. "You are the Bringer Of The Death. You are the One responsible for all of this." I motioned around me at the caverns and, by extension, the people trapped within their walls. "And all for what, Strrae'hel?" I asked. "Power? Prestige?"

He growled again and moved in on me. "You know _nothing_ of me, _Reject_!" He growled out. "I served my people faithfully! I gave _everything_ for them! And what did they give me? NOTHING!"

Reject? I did not understand what he meant by that, but it was likely just designed to unbalance me, make me easier to defeat in this War of Words. So I ignored it and shook my head. "And that gives you the right to do this?" I asked pointedly. "To trap them like this?" I sighed and backed up a single step. "But it backfired, didn't it?"

"Wait." Interjected Fred, voice confused and yet hard. "You mean he did it _on purpose_?" I felt him come up alongside of me.

"Yes, Fred. He engineered the disaster that trapped them all here, but I did not realize it at first. Mostly because They didn't know. He was going to trap the leaders and thus make himself Emperor by default. But his plan backfired. The Affect Radius was larger than it was supposed to be, and he was not as protected as he'd thought."

Jonathan came up on my other side. "So now he needs your power to get out of his own trap? Then what?" His eyes were fixed on Varien's.

"Then I would leave this Hell." Strrae'hel answered, but now his words bore no fire. It was over. He knew it.

"That leaves only one question." I heard Leanna say.

"Yes," I continued the thought, "if you could do this all along, why do you need me? Why not just take someone and ride them out? And why that particular host?"

He sighed and slumped against the wall, sliding to sit at my feet. "I need the Psionic Potentials to ride into the mind. But his aren't high enough to break the hold this place has on us."

The others did not understand; I could feel it. But I did. "You've tried it before, haven't you?" I asked.

He nodded mutely.

"And they hit the Doorway, and you end up back here."

Another nod.

"What have you done with Varien?" Fred grated out.

"Nothing." I answered softly as I knelt before Varien. "He's there. He knows if he destroys Varien, I'll have no reason not to destroy this Form . . . and him with it." I explained, eyes holding his. "You've lost, Strrae'hel. Leave him." I commanded.

He laughed at me. "I may not be able to destroy him, but I do not have to let him go either. So you either give me what I want, or he stays here until he, too, joins us."

I paused for a moment, contemplating it. "All right."


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six**_

I heard a gasp and felt the shift in emotions from the group. Fred was somewhere between confused, shocked, and relieved. Scott was just confused and shocked. Leanna was disbelieving. And Jonathan was fit to be tied. I could feel his need to protest this even before he spoke.

"Celia, you _can't_!" He whispered in my ear urgently, squatting beside me.

Both Varien's eyes and mine turned to him, and he froze as if he really did not want to have to fight with us. I stood slowly and moved away a few steps, drawing him with me. "I have to, Jonathan." I whispered, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"But . . ." He hesitated. I could sense a battle of an entirely different kind being waged within him. "That gives him what he wants." He finally protested. There was more; I could feel it. But I did not press. Would it really matter in the long run anyway?

I sighed. "I know. But it is the only thing I can do. It is the only way to save Varien." I countered. I felt trapped.

"There has to be another way." He protested.

I sighed again and shook my head. "There isn't. I've been over it and over it. This is the only way. Please, Jonathan, I . . ." I wanted to say so much. But it stuck there, jammed itself in my throat and refused to budge. I swallowed. "I will always remember you." I finally managed, pulling him into a tight embrace that lasted only a moment. Then I moved off, before he could stop me again, and stood before Varien who was now standing once more.

"I give you now access to my Form." I said in a sort of official-sounding voice. I saw Varien's lips curve into a cruel smile, then I felt the rush of a powerful mind flowing into mine savagely...

_We stood on a scorched plain. We were all that stood here. He looked at me and sneered. "You were too easy, Reject."_

_ For the second time, he had called me Reject. I frowned and crossed my arms. "Why do you keep calling me that, Strrae'hel?" I asked, finally dredging up the courage to face that question and its answer._

_ He did not answer immediately. After a moment of studying me, he looked genuinely shocked. "You truly don't know . . . do you?" He asked._

_ "If I knew, I'd not have to ask the likes of you, would I?" I shot back hotly._

_ He laughed. "They tossed you out, Celia." He taunted. "My people only ignored my accomplishments. Yours exiled you for yours."_

_ My eyes narrowed. "You lie."_

_ "Do I?" He challenged. "Ask them. Ask the great and powerful Continuum."_

_ "I can't. You know that."_

_ He laughed again. "Oh, yes, that's right. You're stuck here with the rest of us Mortals." He jeered._

_ "My power will not free you, Strrae'hel."_

_ "Oh, but it will. As soon as I have dealt with you, I shall command that vast power. And then, I shall rule the Dimensions!"_

_ "Then you didn't hear?" Now it was my turn to taunt him. I mimicked his pose of arms crossed over chest._

_ "Hear what?" He frowned, his demeanor changing somewhat, becoming slightly less certain._

_ "That this place diminishes me." I answered. "I am not even certain that I can get out."_

_ There was a moment of silence between us. Then he roared out his anger and frustration._

_ Most Mortals perceive Time as a linear thing, but it is not. Time is a River. It flows in a general direction, yes, but there are eddies and whirlpools and other places where the 'laws of time' do not apply just as there are places in a river that do not obey the 'go that way' command of the general river. In short, Time is in a constant state of flux and flows in whatever direction it is commanded to flow. And like that river, it has slow spots and rapids. A mindscape is one of those places where Time's flow changes based on the perceptions of the minds involved. In this case, it seemed to slow to an absolute crawl._

_ We traded power blows for a seeming eternity before I sensed a weakness in my opponent's defenses. He was tiring, and that was a good thing since I was as well. Fortunately for me, he was tiring faster._

_ Taking advantage of that weakness, I pounded him with blow after blow. I gave him no time to rest, no time to recharge, no time to retaliate. "Now you leave us, Strrae'hel!" I cried out as I delivered a final, powerful blow that resulted in a flash of purest white . . ._

"We shouldn't have let her, Leanna!" I heard Jonathan protesting in a tone that I could only have described as haunted.

"We had no choice, Jonathan." Leanna counseled gently, one hand resting on a leather-clad shoulder. There was compassion in her eyes and in her voice.

He did not speak at first. "I know." He finally said in a tone so soft I almost did not hear it. "But I . . . I wish there had been another way."

"So do I." Leanna commiserated.

I had not moved yet. I was gathering my wits and my strength. I could feel my body now, but it was heavy and nearly unresponsive. Such mental battles always have some form of repercussions on the body; but it was hard to tell what those would be on mine until the initial malaise wore off. Until then; therefore, I had to simply lie where they had laid me and listen, eyes closed.

S'Lel, it seemed, sensed my state of awareness; however. He padded over and nuzzled my cheek, purring softly in my ear. A slow smile crept across my lips, but I could not coax more out of my body just then. He seemed to understand.

"S'Lel, leave-" Leanna started to chastise the cat, but stopped mid-scold as she saw the smile. Gently, she nudged Jonathan to turn.

He did. "Is she . . .?" He could not bring himself to finish the question.

He did not have to. "She has won." Leanna said softly. "S'Lel would know."

Jonathan smiled fully then and moved to squat beside me. I felt him take one of my hands in both of his. My smile widened a bit more.

It took me an hour and a half to regain my strength. When I did, my first act was to ensure that Varien had fared all right through the ordeal. His mind was intact, and his body was unharmed, but his expression had taken on a look of guilt as he looked into my eyes.

"Celia, I . . ." He cut himself off and tried again. "That is not . . ." He shook his head. "Please, forgive me for my . . . abhorrent behavior. It is not the way I believe or behave normally. I'm sorry . . ."

I would have stopped him before that, but I could sense that he needed to say it. I knew that had not been him, so to me, there was no need to apologize. But he felt that there was, so I let him. Then I smiled and shook my head. "No need. The one who did that was not you, Varien. I know this. I knew it then. Please do not carry this?"

He nodded and sighed a bit. I knew it would take some time to get over that for him, but at least the healing could begin. I gave his shoulder a squeeze then turned away to help Jonathan gather his things as had become our habit.

That was when I noticed it.

I stopped. "Holy . . .!" I breathed, eyes closing.

Everyone looked at me. "What?" Someone asked anxiously. So engrossed in my discovery was I that I did not register which of them it had been.

"I can get out of here!"


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven**_

For a moment, excitement bubbled around me. Then Leanna brought everyone back to reality with a shattering suddenness. "You didn't say 'we', Celia." She pointed out with a questioning in her tone.

Everyone stilled. All eyes turned to me expectantly.

I froze, suddenly realizing what I had said. Suddenly realizing _that_ I had said it _aloud_. Damn, where was that internal monologue when I needed it?

Eyes still closed, I stood there gathering my thoughts and my wits. Suddenly, I realized how that had to have sounded to the others. I sighed and turned, eyes coming open and meeting each set around me before settling on the soft and intensely expressive eyes of Jonathan Willaway. And then the full weight of my words settled onto my shoulders and into my mind. I winced, shaking my head to negate what I could feel him thinking, what I could feel them _all_ thinking.

"I know how that sounded," I began, "but I have no intention of abandoning you here." I let my eyes touch each set once more. "We've come this far together, and I intend to see you safely out of this Zone. I was just . . . shocked. I told you before that this place, this Triangle as you call it, diminishes me. I told you I couldn't get out of this Zone. And that was the truth. But-"

"But that was Strrae'hel's doing, not the Triangle." Varien finished for me softly.

"Yes." I confirmed for the others' benefit.

Silence hung between us again as they all considered that. I could see them each processing it in their own way. Varien had the least processing of that information to do since he was privy to it before my speaking it aloud, a dubious "honor" at best. Leanna took a moment to cast a look to Varien and read the look in his eyes; then her expression became one of acceptance. She trusted Varien even if she did not know how to take me entirely. Scott looked between the adults, seeming to take Varien and Leanna's acceptance as a sign that he should do so as well and settled on petting the cat. Said cat just looked indifferent as if the humans should have known better all along and he was not going to waste energy on the matter. Fred frowned, looking the most skeptical but taking the other two's acceptance for what it was worth and letting the matter go . . . for now.

And that left Jonathan. For several long moments, he stared at me, holding my gaze with his. In those soft, gentle eyes I could see the path of his thoughts. First came worry. Worry that I would abandon them. And that worry brought with it pain, that pain caused by the thought that I might abandon _him_. That emotion reached into me and made my heart stop for a second with my own pain, inexplicable as it was. But that emotion, too, was replaced, giving way to relief. He believed me, that I would stay, at least to the next Zone. But that last bit brought back the worry, though not the pain this time. There was a silent question and plea in his eyes then, one I longed to answer, to assuage the worry held there.

Fortunately, we were close thanks to our packing, and I reached out to touch his hand, taking it into mine gently but firmly. I held his gaze, needing him to see my Truth in my eyes.

"I am still diminished, Jonathan." I explained. "I cannot remove your party from this place. _That_ much is the Triangle's doing. But I want you to, no I _need_ you to, understand something. I will _not_ abandon you. I will stay as long as you wish me to, as many Zones as you wish. Until you no longer wish me to be here." I gave his hand a gentle squeeze and smiled warmly. For the others, I had promised to stay through this Zone. For him, I would do more.

_Much _more.

I saw the relief wash through him, felt it poignantly. He squeezed my hand and smiled, a silent expression of gratitude and pleasure shared only between us. Then we continued our packing.

We soon understood why Strrae'hel had become so desperate. Three more turns, and we felt it. The Doorway flowed up around us, and we found ourselves in an entirely different landscape . . .

_**THE END**_


End file.
